The Valentino Rossi who took second place in the Grand Prix race on the Motegi circuit recently promoted to Japan GP competition following the exclusion of the dangerous Suzuka track from the 2004 calendar was both good and lucky.
Good: Valentino was the only pilot capable of opposing furious home-town boy Tamada who dominated the event with the extra advantage of fantastic Bridgestone tires to come up with the first win of this career.
Lucky: Vale was lucky because his closest contenders all missed the occasion to score precious points.
Sete Gibernau struggled all weekend with a bike that just wouldn't respond and now finds himself 39 big points behind. Unfortunate Max Biaggi fell in the collective spill at the first curve to score a total 0 and is now practically out of the race 71 points away from the top.
The 250 season's undisputed dominator Daniel Pedrosa fought a no-holds-barred battle with compatriot Spaniard Toni Elias for the first half of the race before banishing the latter to a second-place finish.
In 125 competition, a plucky Simoncelli claimed a good 6th place finish just tenths of seconds away from the winners' stand.
The Grand Prix pilots can now rest for a week before heading to Qatar, Malaysia and Australia…and then returning to Europe for the year's grand finale in Valencia.